Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Follow-woe-woe

I thought I would have a few more months with my beloved Google Reader. I was planning a very sweet, intimate goodbye. I'd sit out on the patio with my laptop on a beautiful day in late June. Scrolling through the blogs that GR has provided so efficiently for me, I'd stroke the trackpad a little bit lighter, lingering on each click just a little bit longer. Perhaps I'd make myself a cocktail and toast GR for it's years of service to bloggers and blog readers everywhere. With the GR window still open, I'd close my laptop and hold it close in a warm embrace of love and appreciation. "Goodbye, Google Reader. Rest in peace." I'd whisper.

It disappeared. I thought there was more time, but all of a sudden it's gone. Vanished. No more. Didn't GR say it would be leaving us in July? Was I mistaken? Who will keep track of all of my blog subscriptions? Who will tell me when I fall behind in my reading? And how will YOU follow Spoils of Wear?

There's always email. That thing on the sidebar that says FOLLOW BY EMAIL. Yeah, that. It might actually work. Let me know if it doesn't.

How about Blogger's Reading List or Bloglovin'? To be honest, I'm not crazy about either one. It's possible I haven't given Bloglovin' a fair shot. Other people love it and follow that way so...cool.

Facebook & Twitter. Great n' all, but not the same as having those delightful bits of inspiration all in one handy spot.

You freaked me out because I follow so many blogs that...I don't even know who I follow! Thankfully, Reader is still available - although I'm totally going to migrate all my subscriptions to BlogLoving now (just in case)

I tried to like BlogLovin but never felt a connection with it. I heard good things about Feedly, but had some issues with the importing of all my subscriptions. Then a friend told me about NewsBlur. It is very similar to the "old" Google Reader that allowed you to share items with friends. My friends and I love to share items and comment on them back and forth so it is great for us. The only downside is it is $24/yr - but in the grand scheme of things that is CHEAP. I went ahead and paid my money last week and I haven't regretted it yet!

My friends and I have been testing out Feedly and The Old Reader. Feedly is slicker looking but still working out bugs -- there's no sharing feature and the share button to G+ comes and goes. The Old Reader feels much like the original reader with the sharing option intact, but there's no way to add random URLs and I kind of miss the Like button from G+.

About Me

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."-Anne Shirley, Anne of Avonlea